The smallest WD Caviar Black drive is 500GB. The blacks have 32MB memory cache and 5 yr warranty. Here are two from Newegg with $5 difference in price for the 650GB.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007603%2050001306%20600003459%20600003340%20600003338&IsNodeId=1 &bop=And&CompareItemList=14|22-136-319^22-136-319-TS%2C22-136-320^22-136-320-TS
Jim
Thanks for your inputs and ideas.
It is very interesting that no matter what drive you look at on Newegg or other places many receive a failed drive. (DOD)
I have never in my 30 years in computers had any HD fail on me.
I just wonder if these folks that write their opinions are just no doing something right on install.
It is very interesting no one has mentioned a Seagate drive.
Not sure which way I want to go yet so I will keepwatching what you all suggest and use as well as good deals around.
Thanks
Seagate was typically among the top 2 recommendations 3 or 4 years ago, but got a bit of bad publicity with a particular drive series (7200.10? 7200.11?, I can't recall). Samsung has generally moved up in the last 3 years or so. In my experience, Samsungs run 3 or 4 degrees cooler than the competition. I haven't checked speed reports recently--2 years ago or so, Samsungs weren't the fastest but still had adherents because they were usually cheaper, usually cooler, and often as quiet as the competition. I think the latest Samsungs do better on speed tests than earlier models.
Reliability has always been the most important factor for me, but reliable data on that is very difficult to come by. All you have is anecdotes and the web is full of horror stories about all brands.
Google conducted an extensive report on the thousands of hard drives they use several years ago.
Get it here: Google publishes hard drive failure study - The Tech Report
I haven't read it lately. As I recall it did not name brand names, but did cast doubt on several long-held notions regarding when and why drives fail. I think the "bathtub curve" is still intact, though.
I have 3 WD Caviar Black in my comp now, 32mb cache and 5 year warranty (which i don't think anyone else is willing to give) are the biggest plus's. Reliability is the next factor, and personally i don't buy barebones drives, they may be just as good but i'll pay a few dollars more and stay with the retail box.
The problem with Newegg is the packaging. They sell bulk drives and are stuck in a box with a little bubble wrap. A retail boxed drive has a lot better packaging. That's why they have good pricing. I remember years ago the bulk drives were only warrantied by the vendor and the manufacture only honored returns from the vendor and not the customer. The bulk drives were not meant for resale but were for the vendor to use them to build systems.That has changed and we benefit from it in the pricing although the packaging is worst.Thanks for your inputs and ideas.
It is very interesting that no matter what drive you look at on Newegg or other places many receive a failed drive. (DOD)
I have never in my 30 years in computers had any HD fail on me.
I just wonder if these folks that write their opinions are just no doing something right on install.
It is very interesting no one has mentioned a Seagate drive.
Not sure which way I want to go yet so I will keepwatching what you all suggest and use as well as good deals around.
Thanks
Jim
Retail box might include cables.
I ordered mine OEM from Newegg and they add a lot of bubble wrap when shipping them so they arrive safe.
Cables are like $5-6 for both power and data if you don't have what you already need. You don't need fancy expensive cables.
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